Health Information and Disease Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

A food intolerance means either your digestive system is responding to something in food that irritates it or you’re unable to fully break down food because of a shortage or missing enzyme. It’s the latter that causes your intestinal gas discomfort. And up next is why.

Food which is not broken down properly impairs its intestinal absorption of nutrients, known as malabsorption. Carbohydrate malabsorption in your small intestine is the primary culprit for causing gas.

Whenever large amounts of sugar are not fully digested in your small intestine, it moves down to your large intestine. That is where some otherwise healthful types of bacteria dwell.

Some of these bacteria then eat and break down the malabsorbed sugars. And it’s in that process hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane gas is produced.

This bacteria produced intestinal gas, in turn, causes your abdominal bloating. Both of which are suggestive symptoms of this type of food intolerance.

Eventually, your bacteria generated gas exits via your rectum.

Many foods contain a variety of naturally occurring sugars which can be a cause for your gas and bloating, like:

Fiber contains a sugar called cellulose, to which human’s can’t breakdown because we don’t produce an enzyme necessary for this work. However, soluble fiber, found in oat bran, beans, peas, and most fruits, is broken down in your large intestine by certain bacteria, causing gas.

Since everyone’s enzyme deficits and gut flora vary, some will produce more gas than others to the same carbohydrate containing foods. Yet, it’s a sure bet you’ve experienced the unpleasant intestinal gas and abdominal bloating reaction to something you ate.

Here are some other substances that can contribute to a food intolerance: